Blank Stare
by AllyGal123
Summary: There's a Best Buddies club at Envy's school, and although he's not very social, he joins it anyway...mainly because Winry seemed so excited about it. He's usually not too good at being around kids with special needs, but one in particular is easier to get along with than he thought. Plus, he's not half bad looking...((Edvy AU with a quiet Edward for once! Somewhat Pride!Ed))


It wasn't as if he _hated_ people with disorders, they were just difficult to talk to. "Normal" people were hard enough to talk to, so this was ten times more uncomfortable.

Winry was just so excited about it; she seemed like the kind of girl who did this stuff for fun, not volunteering hours. So, once seeing the girl's cheerfulness when explaining the topic, he had begrudgingly told her he'd think about it.

Now, he wasn't so sure.

* * *

Envy was told to meet the other members of "Best Buddies" at the cafeteria. Winry had given him a flyer the day he agreed to join the club. The group participated in various activities, like pajama parties, movie nights, board games, etc. Envy wasn't usually social, but his blonde-haired friend had assured him he would only have to socialize with his partner.

That was another thing the boy was worried about: his partner.

As much as he hated to think like that, Envy couldn't help but feel disgust when seeing a person with a disorder. You could tell when someone had one, too; the way they'd carry themselves, how they'd speak, little twitches or other subconscious movements. Sometimes you could tell just by looking at them. It was odd, because a lot of people affected by the disorders looked the same, had a similar face.

Envy shook the distasteful thoughts from his head as he neared the cafeteria. Clutching tighter at the flyer, he gave the doorway a good, long stare. _Should I really go through with this?_ He mused. _Winry would be upset if I bailed on her after accepting…_

The wild-haired boy sighed and pushed through the doorway, knowing that he was doing the right thing.

He needed volunteering hours, anyway.

* * *

Upon entering the large room, Envy found that there were a lot more people than he was anticipating. His unsocial instincts were kicking in, telling him to high-tail it out of there. The teenager frantically searched for a familiar blonde head. He spotted it at a crowded table, and ran to its owner.

"Um, hey Winry, I'm here…" he mumbled, poking the girl's back to let her know of his existence. She turned around immediately, beaming.

"Envy! I'm so glad you made it! I really thought you were gonna chicken out on me last minute!" Winry said with a giggle. "Well, now that you're here, you need to sign a form that lets us know about you, also if you'd prefer to partner with a boy or girl."

 _Definitely a boy. I'm so awkward around girls._ Envy thought abashedly, taking the form from Winry's hand. "Thanks…I'll be right back, I guess." He muttered. The wild-haired boy shuffled to a corner table and began to write down his preferences. _My name is Envy Alighieri…I am 17 years old…I am a boy…et cetera et cetera…I do not play sports…I can play the violin…'other'? Well, I'm flexible…and finally, my signature and phone number._

The teenager got up from the table and made his way back to the busy table, but it had seemed that Winry had left. Envy grew anxious. Winry was the only person Envy knew in this club! Who else could he talk to?

Suddenly, Envy felt a tapping at his shoulder. He turned around to come face-to-face with another boy. "Excuse me," the boy said. "Your form is ready, yes? I can take it for you." He had long, black hair that was tied back into a pony tail. His eyes were kind of squinty, but not suspicious-looking. He actually looked pretty friendly. Envy nodded wordlessly and handed him the sheet. "Thank you. I'm Ling, by the way, and if you want to go meet the Buddies, they're sitting in a circle over there." The boy called Ling pointed to a group of kids on the floor, laughing and talking loudly. As Envy looked closer, he noticed that Winry was a part of the circle.

Envy nodded without words once again and made his way over to the group. Whilst crouching down to whisper to Winry, to let her know that he was all signed up and ready to leave, he felt a tug at his sleeve. The wild-haired boy looked down to see a girl with big, brown eyes staring back at him. She wore a large grin on her face as she spoke, "Hi! M'name's Paninya 'n Winry's my best friend!"

Envy really didn't know how to respond. "Uh, that's nice. I'm Envy and Winry's my friend, to-"

"Wow! Your hair's really cool! It's green, too! That's m'favorite color, you know? Can I touch it?"

"I'm not so sure-"

Paninya didn't listen to Envy's protest, and grabbed a fistful of his hair anyway. "Wooow! Your hair is really, really, REALLY SOFT! And it's GREEN! That's m'favorite color! So cool!" She continued to rattle on, all the while making Envy feel rather uncomfortable. He nudged Winry and tried asking her for help with his eyes. Winry smiled and nodded.

"Hey, Paninya, why don't you tell everyone in the group about yourself? I'm sure the new kids would love to hear about our past activities! Talk about our water skiing trip." She suggested to the hyper girl. Said girl immediately let go of Envy's hair and scooted to the circle to talk about the trip. Envy sighed happily and gave Winry a nod of thanks. The two stood up and walked towards the doorway.

* * *

"You know, you should really stay and meet the Buddies," The blonde-haired girl began.

"I know, but I get so weird and awkward around other people…especially if they're all over the place." Envy mumbled, shoving his hands in his jacket pocket and lowering his head.

Winry placed her hands on her hips. "You don't have to be so bashful here. Let it loose, the Buddies certainly won't care! It's all about having fun."

Envy made a displeasing grumbling noise.

The blonde sighed. "Well…I can try setting you up with a quieter buddy, but I can't guarantee it, since I'm not a higher up in the club."

This was enough for Envy, as he actually smiled for once. "Thanks a lot, Winry. That'd really be easier."

"Don't mention it. Though I'd really rather you just step out of your comfort zone for once. It could be a good change."

The wild-haired boy let out a chuckle and shrugged his shoulders. "Like that'll ever happen. Goodbye, Winry." He said, waving a hand.

"See you this Wednesday!" she replied, waving back as Envy stepped out the doors, retreating to his home to be alone for the rest of the day. Winry simply shook her head and walked back to the circle.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! This is probably not the story you've been waiting for me to update, and I'm sorry. It's not that I have writer's block for Childlike, I just have so many ideas that I don't know what to put down for the next chapter! I promise you I'll get in an update this week. As for this story, it had always been stuck in my head and I finally decided to write it out. Apologies if I get any disorders incorrect, or if they are offending to any of you. Suggestions of real disorders in the comments would be great! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little bit, and there will be more to come! I'm already doodling fanart…**


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